Rivaled Partners
by Hem Ntjr Seth
Summary: Discontinued. Seto has been a spy for the last six years. He never thought that he'd see Yami again, since during the Ceremonial Battle the Pharaoh had returned to his memories. But when Seto's partner resigns, the CEO gets the shock of his life. SxY
1. Goodbye Jounouchi

Authoress Sana- Another SetoxYami fic for all of you dedicated otaku to enjoy.

Pharaoh Atemu- Sana-chan does not own Yuugiou/Yu-Gi-Oh nor does she own any of the Memory Arc people or other characters.

Authoress- You read the disclaimer much more efficiently than Seth…

Pharaoh Atemu- (blushes) I could never do 'anything' as efficiently as Seth-ko. He's just gifted.

Authoress- (rolls eyes)   
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-Rivaled Partners-

_"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand of times...I don't do the teamwork thing, Yuugi."_

_"Kaiba-kun we must work together to defeat these Rare Hunters."_

_"I work alone."_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------- _

_"Kaiba-kun, listen to me. You must listen! Dartz will defeat us unless if we work together! Can't you see that!"_

_"Yuugi! You are talking nonsense. Dartz is just another baka after my company; a nobody."_

_"Kaiba-kun! Listen to me! We must work together!"_

_"Cut the bull, Yuugi. Teamwork and friendship are for the weak...and I refuse to be one of the weak."_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------_

That is how it had always been between Kaiba Seto and Yami No Yuugi; a continued clash of pride and arrogance in everything that they went through. And though they had never been enemies, rivals yes, it had always seemed that they were constantly at each other throats and fighting each other, when they were supposed to be fighting their foe. But those days were long gone. Five years had past since the Ceremonial Battle had taken place, Atemu had lost, and the Pharaoh had returned to his memories. It was then that Seto finally realized that Atemu was real, and not an imaginary person that Yuugi had made up. He knew that he would always remember the spirit, and preferred to refer to him as Yami than as Atemu. Seto had thought that Yami was gone forever, and if it weren't for what was destined to happen years later, he would have always thought this.

Since then, Seto had opened a dueling academy and put Mokuba through college. Speaking of which, the raven-haired young man had moved out of Kaiba Mansion to somewhere in Europe...Seto wasn't sure exactly where, but he made sure that he and his brother kept in contact.

A few other details about his life had also changed. The size of his corporation had tripled, he had brought a few islands in the Florida Keys, and Jounouchi Katsuya, or Genkotsu Katsuya as the yakuza called him, had grown close to Seto; not only gaining his respect but also his friendship. The blonde had become his trump card so to speak, and had gotten him out of many sticky situations with the Yakuza, Triads and Mafia over the last four years, which had been very beneficial when the CEO had repeatedly received death threats from the leaders of these crime organizations.

What everyone didn't know was that Seto wasn't just the CEO of Kaiba Corp., founder of the duelist academy on the outskirts of town, international celebrity or Japan's still most eligible bachelor. No...Seto had been leading a double life for the last six years. The hard truth was that Seto was a spy. Yup, Mr. Tall Wealthy and Handsome was also Kaiba Seto International Spy. To add to this fact, Seto's partner was Jounouchi himself or at least until that fated day...

"What do you mean you're quitting the agency, Jounouchi-kun? I don't see a valuable explanation for this."

"You forget, Seto-kun. I'm also Officer Jounouchi Katsuya, recently bumped up to Commissioner Jounouchi Katsuya last week", the blonde replied to Seto's question as he reached into his dresser, pulling out a handful of clothing and stuffing it into his suitcase, "I can't be a spy anymore. My priorities are much more important to me now. I have to manage the entire Tokyo Police Department now, meaning that I have no time for this job anymore", he rummaged though the medicine cabinet and tossed a few bottles of medication in his suitcase.

Seto grumbled and bit his lip, as he watched the young man fill his suitcase to the state of official overloading, "I understand. I am going to miss you, Katsuya. I mean that. Really I do."

Jounouchi smiled at Seto, in the fashion that he used to when he was a teenager, goofiness written all over his face, "I know. I am going to miss you too. These have been the most fun and thrilling fours years of my life. It has been an honor to work with you, Seto-kun", he furiously tugged at the suitcase's zippers, desperately trying to get them to zip close.

Seto subconsciously took the difficult task of zipping the stubborn luggage from Jounouchi, "So...I guess that this is goodbye then", he managed to zip the suitcase and handed it to the blonde.

"I guess so...I...Kuso!", Jounouchi cursed out loud and looked down at the floor as he mumbled, "I better be going. I'll miss my cab."

Seto sighed, "Good luck, Katsuya...my dear friend", he said softly then reached out and hugged the blonde.

Jounouchi accepted the hug, broke it and picked up his suitcase, "Adiosu Seto-kun", and with that he was gone.

Seto looked watched Jounouchi's retreating back in sadness. He had just lost his partner but more importantly his friend. There was no turning back now, and he doubted that he would ever see the blonde again. He sat on his bed and looked around the building that they had shared and called their 'second home'. It was empty and now, with no Jounouchi to lighten up the atmosphere, also extremely depressing. The brunette would no longer feel the warmth and carefree spirit that had emitted from Jounouchi whenever they were together. Never again.

Seto knew that he would be getting a new partner soon, but he felt that no one could ever near as replace Jounouchi. In Seto's eyes Jounouchi at the very least his brother. He couldn't stand the thoughts of being without the blonde along with the ones that told him that he would have to face this world alone, and he felt that no one could ever replace Jounouchi in his heart. What they had had was special and Seto was going to miss it.

He turned off the light, closed the door and locked it, "Adiosu Jounouchi-kun...", he muttered to himself as he left the building, "Yes I shall miss you. I hope that my next partner is at least half as nice as you."

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Was that a good introduction chapter? Review? (All reviewers get a cookie.)


	2. Phone Call

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Authoress Sana- I've just had so much inspiration these last few days. This is my 3rd new fic in two weeks. That's an all time record for me.

High Priest Seth- That's nice.

Authoress- No one asked you!

Pharaoh Atemu- Hey! Don't yell at my Seth-ko. (cuddles Seth)

Authoress- (rolls eyes)

Thief King Akifa (Bakura)- Take your lovey-dovey crap to another room…

Authoress- (ahem) In this chapter, Seto learns who is new partner is.

Everyone- Wai!

Authoress- And gomen in advance for the cliffy at the end.

Everyone- Boo!

Authoress- Urasai all of you!

Everyone- (sweatdrop)

Thief King Akifa- Mahaado has to do the disclaimer this time.

Priest Mahaado- Alright… (ahem) Sana-sama doesn't own Yuugiou/Yu-Gi-Oh nor does she own any of the cast.

Authoress- Very good, Mahaado-kun. (throws him a cookie)

Everyone- (twitch)

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Seto woke up the next morning to the warmth of his King-sized bed at Kaiba Mansion. Sitting up he took a deep breath and leaned against the headboard, slowly recalling the events of last night. He closed his eyes and cringed a little, then reopened them and pulled back the covers. Getting to his feet, he walked over to the balcony and leaned his body against the railing. He gazed out into the distance and pondered on what he was going to do that day.

Realizing that he had been neglecting his corporation for the last few months, he strode back into his bedroom, going straight to his bathroom to wash up. After he had taken a quick shower and brushed his teeth, he got dressed, deciding to wear a white suit with blue tie, very much like the one that he had worn during his KC Grand Prix tournament.

Exiting the bedroom, he walked down the hall to his office where his briefcase resided. Sighing, he picked up the metal object and opened it. Seeing that his laptop wasn't inside, he quickly glanced around the room, searching for it. After a few long moments, he spotted the computer lying on the sofa. A little bewildered as to why it was there and not on his desk, he tried to recall the last time that he had used the device. Suddenly he remembered and without a second thought, put his laptop into his briefcase, closed and locked the metal object, and exited the room.

---Six Months Ago---

Seto was sitting on the sofa with the laptop resting on his lap. He tried to listen as Jounouchi rambled about something about hacking. But his mind was slowing wandering and his concentration was failing. Soon he found himself thinking about his brother and corporation.

"Seto! Are you even listening to me?", demanded Jounouchi when he saw that Seto's eyes were glazing over.

Seto snapped out his trance, "Gomen. What were you saying?"

Jounouchi growled, "I told you to type the most important points of what I was saying. You are hopeless", the blonde rubbed his nose-bridge in frustration.

"Gomen again", mumbled Seto and he gazed down at the screen, seeing that he had been subconsciously typing a poem…a love poem to be exact. He was about to delete it when Jounouchi strode over to him and pulled the laptop away.

Jounouchi read the poem and shook his head, "Who is this to?"

Seto shrugged, "No idea. Can you start again? I promise that I'll pay attention this time."

Jounouchi sighed, "Fine. But if you drift again…I swear that I will throw that laptop to the floor and beat the living fuck out of you. Am I clear?"

Seto nodded vigorously, "Crystal. Please continue."

Jounouchi turned the laptop back to Seto and started again, "As you have probably noticed, someone has hacked into our database and if they are not stopped then they could find out who we really are and destroy us."

Seto nodded and as he had promised typed whatever Jounouchi said that he found important or at the very least what he could keep up with.

After another half hour, Jounouchi stopped talking and Seto stopped talking. Seto shut down his laptop and gently placed it on the sofa. Then they left the room to go eat.

---End Flashback---

Seto walked back down the hallway and down the grand staircase, heading straight for the kitchen, briefcase in hand.

The cook smiled at him, "Ohayo gozaimusu, Kaiba-sama. Would you like something to eat?", she placed another plate in the cupboard.

"Of course I would, Miss Kutura. Coffee sounds inviting as well", he took a seat on the bar-counter, placing his briefcase to his side.

She smiled and nodded, "I just finished making a pot of coffee a few minutes ago. Cream and sugar?"

He nodded slowly and she poured him a cup, adding some cream and sugar to the hot beverage, and placed it on the counter for him to taste, then ignited the gas-stove and starting cooking.

He breathed in the sweet aroma and took a sip, "First class."

She smiled again, "I'm glad that you like it", she sprayed some non-stick cooking spray onto the pan and turned up the heat, "Pancakes suit you?"

"Hai", he replied quickly and took another sip of the coffee.

She quickly poured some pancake batter into the pan and opened the fridge, taking out a bottle of syrup and a small box of strawberries, and placed them on the counter, then went back to the stove and flipped the pancakes. After a few minutes they were done and she transferred the pancakes to a large plate. Then she quickly chopped a few strawberries and placed them on the pancakes, and then she poured the syrup on them. Proud of her work, she turned around and placed the hot plate in front of Seto, then turned back around and cleaned up.

He gazed down at the plate in interest then chuckled amusingly, "What am I supposed to eat these with?"

She mental slapped her forehead and reached into one of the drawers and handed him a fork and knife, "Gomen, sir."

He laughed a little and took a bite of the top pancake, instantly enjoying the taste. He swallowed, "Delicious."

She smiled again, "Arigatou, sir."

He kindly shooed her with his hand, "Carry on with your business."

She bowed to him and left the room.

He sat there and ate the exquisite pancakes and drank his coffee for the next half an hour or so, then finished them and placed the utensils on the plate for Miss Kutura to clean up later. Rising to his feet, he picked up his briefcase and left the kitchen, heading for the foyer.

Roland met him there and handed him his cellphone, which the Head of Security had been holding on to for the last six months, "Going back to work, sir?"

Seto nodded, "I haven't been there for so long. I just hope that it's still intact."

Roland replied with a nod of his own, "Not to worry, sir. Your Vice President has been taking care of Kaiba Corp to the best of her abilities. And I doubt that there is anyway that a businesswoman as skilled and professional as her would let the corporation fall apart."

Seto nodded again, "True."

Roland bowed slightly, "Shall you be needing the limo, sir?"

Seto shook his head, "I've grown to love that blue Viper…I'll be taking her to work with me."

Roland nodded, "Very good choice, sir", he knew that Seto trusted that car. It was the one that he and Jounouchi had used all year for their missions. Not only was a top quality vehicle, but it was equipped with the latest technology and firepower, so Roland knew that Seto would be very safe driving it.

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When Seto entered the Kaiba Corp parking lot, he immediately found that his special parking spot was still intact and noticed that it had been repainted. Smiling to himself in satisfaction, he carefully parked his car and gracefully got out. The moment that he entered the Kaiba Corp building itself, time seemed to stand still. He sent glares throughout the building, and everyone quickly got the message and returned to their work. Shaking his head, he walked straight ahead to the elevator and pressed the 'up' button.

After a few moments of waiting, the steel doors finally opened and the brunette stepped inside. He waited patiently as the elevator slowly rose from the ground floor to the top floor, where his office was located. That damned elevator music was playing very much to Seto's dissatisfaction and he growled. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the cellphone that Roland had given him that morning and hit one of the speeddial buttons.

His secretary picked up her phone and cringed, as she had not expected the call to be from Seto, "How may I help you, sir?"

He growled more, "Tell whoever controls the elevators to shut off the extremely annoying and pathetic excuse for music right now or they are fired."

She smirked to herself, "Right away, sir!", then he hung up and she placed the phone back on the receiver. She then picked it back up and quickly made the call, yelling at the elevator operator, whom instantly shut off the music and apologized.

Seto took a deep breath, relaxed again now that the damned music was gone. He leaned against the steel wall and stared at the digital meter that showed what floor he was on; ten more floors to go. After another few minutes the elevator reached the top floor, "Finally…", he mumbled and when the doors opened he hastily stepped out.

He walked right past his secretary, not even bothering to look her or anyone else on the floor. He walked down the long, fancy hallway to his Vice President's office and let himself in. He found her typing madly on her computer.

She looked up at him and smiled, "Welcome back, Kaiba-sama."

He nodded slowly, "I just wanted to say that I appreciate your work and all of the help that you've given me over the years."

She smiled again and looked back to computer and resumed typing, "Arigatou, sir."

He took a deep breath, "Also…I would like to reward you for your hard work and dedication to this company, and would like to thank you for keeping Kaiba Corp running these six months that I've been away."

"No problem, sir", she glanced over at some paperwork, "Anything else, sir?"

"Hai. In fact, I'm giving you a raise."

She looked up at him, a look of surprise plastered onto his young, beautiful face, "Sir, you don't need to do th-", he cut her off.

"I won't take 'no' as an answer, miss."

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart, sir."

He nodded and turned on heel, "Good day", and then he grasped the gold-plated doorknob and left the office, heading further down the hallway to his own office.

He quietly opened the door and slipped inside, seeing that the office was just as clean as he had left it, perhaps even cleaner, he wasn't sure. He walked over to his desk, put down his briefcase and sat down in the large leather computer-chair. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and right when he was about to open his briefcase to retrieve his laptop, the office video-phone rang.

He answered the phone and leaned back in his chair, turning to the big office window and gazed down at the city below.

"Moshi moshi, Kaiba."

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Kaiba-kun. Antonio speaking."

"Oh. Ohayo to you two, sir." It was the agency leader, his only real boss, "O-genki desu ka?"

"I'm healthy, thanks for asking."

"Mhm."

"I'm calling about your future at the agency. Jounouchi is an irreplaceable agent. It's sad to see him go", the man went silent for a few moments then spoke again, "But I got you a new partner. Someone that I believe you once knew…"

"Really?"

"Hai. Here…I'm handing the phone to him."

Seto nodded and waited, expecting to hear one of his former partners on the line. But, when he heard the voice on the other line, he nearly fell out of his chair in shock.

"Hello Seto", came the husky voice.

Seto's eyes widened, "Yami? It can't be!"

A low chuckle was heard, "Oh, but it is. The one and only."

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So did you like this second chapter? Review please.


	3. Meeting Again For The Very First Time

**Rivaled Partners**  
Chapter 3

"_You'll never truly be happy this way, Kaiba-kun. Your selfish nature is just going to continue to push everyone away and when you finally need help, there will be no one there to save you from yourself!"_

"_I don't need saving! Just like I don't need you or your tachi no baka!"_

"_Fuck it, Kaiba! You want to dig your own grave? Then feel free to do so because I don't care anymore! I have more important things to worry about then saving your ungrateful ass!"_

"_Well then, good night and good riddance, Yuugi!"_

"_One of these days you're going to need my aid, and when you do, I won't be here for you! And if I am, good luck getting me on your team!" And with that, Yami stormed off in a fit of rage, punching the wall of the blimp in his frustration. _

_Seto sneered bitterly, as he watched his rival's retreating frame disappear from view, "I, Kaiba Seto, as your partner, Yuugi? That'll be the day." He looked down at his watch, seeing that it was later than he had thought, then strode back to his room to use what precious hours he had left to rest, not that he counted on actually getting any._

* * *

Those had been the words that they had exchanged a half a decade ago, and never had Seto ever considered that he would ever be wrong about what he had said to Atemu that night. Never once, that was until he heard Atemu's voice on the other end of the telephone line. 

"Something wrong, Kaiba-kun?"

"But you-- you're dead."

The reply was soft and bitter, "Oh right. That."

Seto rubbed his temples, assuming that someone was just playing a cruel joke on his mind, "It doesn't make any sense. This goes against the laws of nature!"

"Nature is cruel, Kaiba-kun."

Seto closed his eyes, "I don't understand."

Silence overcame the line then something that sound like 'yes' was heard in the background, "Listen Kaiba-kun. Antonio-sama says that you should just come down to HQ this afternoon and we can chat a little more then. In any case I'm sure that you're busy."

Seto blinked, "This ca--"

A sigh, "Just come by later, alright? Goodbye."

"Wait!" But all that he heard was the buzz of dial tone. Seto shook his head, believing that he had imagined the whole thing and placed the receiver back down on its resting place.

* * *

Seto had not been able to concentrate that whole morning and by late afternoon he still hadn't finished what he had wanted to. All that he could think about was that phone call that he had received from 'Yami'. 

The light for his lane changed to green and he pressed on the accelerator, turning the steering wheel ninety degrees to the left to start his turn, the wind blowing through his chestnut locks. He returned the wheel to its original position once he had completed the turn through the intersection and continued on ahead.

Kaiba Seto wasn't one to listen to music in his car, let alone listen to it anywhere else, so surprisingly the radio was on. And what was more shocking, Seto was humming along with the current song; his finger's drumming on the wheel as his Viper sped down the Domino City streets.

Seto's destination was the only place where the media couldn't follow him, a small parking garage in the center of the city. He sped into the garage as soon as it came into view, barely missing another driver who cursed at him. He simply shook his head and drove to the lowest part of the garage, the light of the world above disappearing from his view. Slowing down to barely to around five miles per hour, he reached the parking zone below. True it was dark beyond all belief, but he knew the area well. He backed into a parking slot neatly next to other cars and shifted the gear to 'park'.

Opening a hidden compartment in the roof of the car, he reached inside and pulled out a belt buckle with the word 'Viper' on it. Smiling to himself, Seto removed the buckle that said 'KC' on it and placed that into the compartment, snapping on the new one. Then he reached into the compartment again and pulled out a pair of thin, black shades that had been specially made for him. The brunette put them on so that they were resting on his nose bridge and closed the compartment.

To complete the look, he removed his infamous white trench coat and neatly folded it, reaching under his seat and pulled out a simple black, leather jacket. Slipping the jacket around his shoulders and torso, Seto got out of the car and opened the trunk, placing the folded trench coat inside. Then he locked his car and walked down the dark tunnel that led to the agency's entrance. After scanning his key card through the high-tech security system and having it scan his retina, the double doors opened slowly and he walked inside, the said objects shutting behind him.

* * *

The main room consisted of a huge plasma television, a black leather sofa with matching armchairs, a desk with a few computers and a phone, a pair of floor lamps, and a coffee table complete with a coffee maker. Of the agents that were present, three of them sat on the sofa and in the armchairs, another one stood against the wall chatting on his cell, another one typed at a computer, and the chief agent, Antonio, sat upon the sofa with his laptop upon the coffee table, showing a PowerPoint presentation on the television to the other participating agents. Of the three other agents that sat around Antonio, one was reading a book in his or her armchair, while the other two asked questions about the presentation and voiced their opinions. 

All eyes focused on Seto the moment that he stepped inside, and then as if nothing had happened, the agents returned to whatever they had been doing, paying him no more mind. Antonio rose from his seat and greeted Seto, a warm smile spreading across his face as he spoke about Seto's new mission and his sympathies for the loss of Jounouchi. Seto knew what was coming but he choose to simply nod nonchalantly and say little, allowing the older man to elaborate on how crucial the new mission was to the future of the agency and so on. Surprisingly Antonio said nothing about the brunette's new partner, and the CEO supposed that there was a valuable reason for that the topic being undiscussed.

Antonio left Seto alone once more and resumed the presentation with the eager agents, much to the brunette's relief; he hated having to listen to people rant on and on. His eyes drifted around the room looking for 'Yami', someone that he still believed hadn't really been on the telephone that morning. It was then that he realized that the reading agent's head was blocked by a floor lamp, so he couldn't see what the person looked like, although he swore that he saw a spike of hair poking out from behind the obscuring object. To confirm his suspicion he stepped forward, the agent's full form coming into view.

"Yami."

Atemu sat in the black armchair, his intoxicating eyes of crimson scanning the page of the book that currently captured his interest. His hair was just as Seto remembered it; his spiky tri-colored as brilliant as ever, the blonde bangs complimenting his face perfectly. He was wearing a black tank that accented his toned muscles and chiseled abs, along with a pair of snug black slacks with a black belt and silver buckle; thin, tinted shades adorned his face, and a pair of black leather boots wrapped themselves around his feet. His skin wasn't the pale white that Seto remembered, but his ancient skin tone instead; the luscious tan bringing out his boyish beauty and eternal youth.

The spiky-haired man looked up when he heard his nickname called, removing his shades and he caught the brunette's gaze, their eyes locking and it looked as though both of them were seemingly frozen in time. After about half a minute of mindless staring, Atemu closed his book, setting it on the coffee table, getting to his feet as he cleared his throat.

"Kaiba."

Seto snapped out of the gaze at the sound of the other's melodic voice, "Come on. We can't talk here."

Atemu nodded slowly, "Of course not," seeing that everyone was looking at him, he gulped, tearing his gaze back to Seto's eyes, "Where did you have in mind?"

"The coffee shop in the center of town, of course," he paused when he saw an indefinable emotion on Atemu's face, "That is alright with you, right?"

Atemu nodded again, "Affirmative," he really did want to get out of the building, "Coffee is perfect."

* * *

Atemu's hand gripped onto the leather seat below him, "Can't you slow down? You'll kill us!" 

Seto smirked as he sped across an intersection, "Nonsense. An experienced driver such as myself would never let this car crash."

Atemu closed his eyes, "It's not the car I'm worried about! It's you!"

Seto blinked as he changed lanes. Just exactly had Atemu meant by that? "Stop whining like a baby. I have control over this vehicle and it will not crash."

Atemu sighed and put his shades back on; Seto wasn't going to listen to him no matter how hard he tried, so he decided to silence himself and put his faith in the brunette, silently praying to Ra that they wouldn't crash. After all, Atemu didn't have plans to return to the afterlife before his time came.

* * *

To Atemu's amazement, Seto was able to park the Viper with it unbelievably still in once piece. How the hell that had happened, Atemu couldn't fathom, but in any case he hoped that Seto wouldn't put him through something like that ever again, though he knew that it was highly unlikely that he would get his wish. He supposed that if there was anything that Seto loved more than technology and superiority, it was undeniably speed and adventure. This was once of the many things that reminded Atemu of the cerulean-eyed priest that he had known so long ago. 

The former king smiled to himself, recalling that he himself had once loved riding his chariot across the Egyptian sands, the reins firm in his hands as his horses seemingly glided down the banks of the Nile. He had especially cherished riding in the chariot with his mortal father, Pharaoh Akunumkanon, the then-heir's lance within his grip as the two hunted geese that flew overhead. The cool air would rush through his tri-colored locks as his father's royal falcon screeched, the sun bathing its magnificent russet wings as it soared over the company. The High Priests Seth, Mahaado and Akunadin had hunted and rode at their chariot's side as the column followed from behind, all of their eyes upon the beloved-Pharaoh and his immortal son. And Atemu loved the thousands of miles of sand had seemed to stretch on forever, because they made him think of everlasting freedom and that there was always something new out there just waiting to be discovered.

Seth, with his sun-kissed skin that had always seemed to glow, would sometimes allow Atemu to ride in his chariot on hunts and scouting missions when Mahaado was preoccupied with his own business or just wasn't around at the given time. The brunette had taught the Prince many things about hunting and war that Mahaado didn't feel were appropriate or didn't have time to teach him. The smiles that Seth gave him would fill the Prince with a wonderful feeling that flowed throughout his body, and his confidence would soar whenever he was around the brunette.

'It's so different now,' thought Atemu as Seto opened the driver's side and stepped out. The spiky-haired man did the same, shaking his head, 'Back then he would have never been so reckless like he is today.'

Not seeming to notice the nostalgic expression on Atemu's tan face, Seto led the way to a small table outside of the coffee shop, and without exchanging a single word, the two sat down across from one-another in the provided chairs. Seto found himself gazing at Atemu with a soft air while the attractive former king took in their surroundings. There was just something about the other man that perked Seto's interest beyond his comprehension. Unfortunately for the CEO, Atemu realized that the brunette was looking at him in that way.

"Something wrong?"

Seto shook his head slowly, "No."

"How did you know that I liked coffee?"

"I didn't. I just assumed that like all other freaks of nature, you enjoyed insane amounts of caffeine."

Atemu made a face, "Oh ha-ha, Kaiba." He crossed his arm as the waitress made her way over to their table. "But seriously why?"

Seto smiled in a cocky manner, "Who doesn't like coffee?"

Atemu chuckled, "Only freaks of nature of course."

Seto was about to make a comment but the waitress cut in, "May I take your order?"

Atemu wasn't reluctant to show Seto that he could take care of himself, "I'll have a light chestnut roast with a little sugar, cream and whip, please."

"Is that all for you?"

Atemu nodded, seeing that Seto was looking at him wide-eyed, "On second thought. Make it extra whip."

Apparently the girl hadn't caught the joke, "And for you, Kaiba-sama?"

Atemu smirked at Seto, who simply shook his head, glaring at the spiky-haired man, "A decaf vanilla roast. No cream, sugar or whip. Ever."

She blinked at the CEO's words but knowing that he always tipped well, wrote the orders down anyway and left.

Seto was still glaring at Atemu with disgusted vehemence, "That wasn't funny."

Atemu simply smirked further, "Well, Mr. Vanilla Roast, being called a 'freak of nature' wasn't funny either."

Seto made a face, "Enough chit-chat. You owe me an explanation, Yami."

Atemu sighed and folded his hands in his lap, "Yes, I suppose that I do."

Seto crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, "Well?"

The spiky-haired man frowned, "How do I know that you'll believe what I say?"

"You don't. But regardless if I will believe your words or not, I want to know why you're back in my time period," Seto paused, "And how it's possible that you could be here."

The waitress returned with two mugs of coffee and set them on the table along with the bill then returned to her work once more.

Atemu closed his eyes, "It's a long story."

"I have all evening."

Then he opened them once more, "Alright." Taking his mug into his hands and sipping his coffee, Atemu proceeded then to explain to Seto what had happened to him in the time after he left.

-Flashback-

_The stone below his feet was cold and he shivered, "My father wants to see me?"_

_Mahaado nodded slowly, "Yes my king."_

"_Why would Pharaoh want to see me?"_

_A soft female voice spoke, "Not His Grace, Majesty. But your true father instead."_

"_My true father? What?"_

"_She means Asar, my Pharaoh."_

_Atemu stopped in his tracks, staring at Isis and Mahaado in shock, "That can't be! I'm no god!"_

_Shada shook his bald head, "God you are, Pharaoh."_

"_But that makes no sense!"_

_Karim chuckled, "Not everything has to make sense to be true, Your Grace."_

_Atemu made a face at his deceased High Priests and Shimon, the old man walking at his side._

"_He's right," added Shimon._

"_So let me get this straight. I'm some form of All-Mighty Heru."_

"_You _are_ Heru," they all replied in unison._

-End Flashback-

"So you're saying that your priests told you that you are some god?"

Atemu nodded, "Yes." And with Seto's unbelieving gaze upon him he continued.

-Flashback: Three Years Later-

_The voice that spoke to him in his mind was soft yet commanding, 'Welcome back my son.'_

"_Thank you, Father."_

_The god of the underworld smiled without smiling, 'How much we have missed you. How was your trip to the Summerland?'_

"_I had quite a good time, Father. Tehuti took me hunting and Heret-Het showed me her valley."_

_Another comforting voice filled his head, 'My son! You are finally back!'_

_Atemu turned toward where he thought the voice had originated to see his divine mother's beautiful face. The goddess's eyes were shining with happiness, "Mother."_

_Aset rushed over to him and took him into her embrace, hugging with arms that he could not feel, though her aura surrounded and comforted him in ways that a human's could not. But something was strange about her aura; she was emitting all sorts of grief, 'It is not over, my son.' Her divine voice was sad and uncertain._

"_What is not over, Mother?"_

'_Your destiny has not yet been fully achieved.'_

"_Forgive my tendency to be naïve, Mother, but what are you talking about?"_

'_There is still something that you must do in the Land of the Living.'_

"_What's that Mother?"_

'_I cannot tell you, because I do not know myself.'_

"_Then how am I supposed to know what I'm supposed to do?"_

'_You will just know, Heru. You will know like you have always known, like you know now, like you will know in the future.'_

"_I understand Mother. What must I do?"_

_Asar's voice filled his head once more, 'You must return to the Land of the Living at once.'_

_Atemu bowed his head, "I shall."_

_Tears streamed down Aset's divine face, 'Good luck, my son.'_

_Atemu smiled at her and walked through the white portal that opened at his command, "I shall return soon, Mother." Her grief, at seeing him go once more, filled his entire soul and for a moment he found himself frozen with sadness. He shook off the feeling and walked into the portal, feeling his bone, muscle and skin returning, and hearing her voice echoing after him._

'_Remember me when you dream.'_

-End Flashback-

Seto tried to take in what Atemu had just told him but he found it extremely hard to accept such a far-fetched tale. But he had to admit that for so long he had not believed that Atemu had existed, but of course he had been wrong, and now anything that the former king told him was more than possible, "So how did you end up at the agency?"

Atemu took a last sip of his coffee, "When I arrived back here, I knew that the first thing I had to do was find myself work and shelter."

Seto sipped the last of his coffee as well, "That's understandable."

Atemu chuckled to himself, "Actually, I found out about the agency by accident."

"Let me guess. You stumbled across the academy on your search for a job, thinking that it was the law enforcement," Seto mused.

Atemu placed his mug aside, "Actually, that's exactly what happened."

"And they sent you to the academy for two years?"

"Yes."

"Then after you graduated, you met Antonio?"

"Exactly."

-Flashback: 5 1/2 Years After The Ceremonial Battle-

"_You're Yami, yes?"_

_Atemu nodded, "Yes sir." He handed his diploma to Antonio._

_The other man looked over Atemu's diploma and paperwork, "Everything seems to be in order."_

_A few minutes passed then Antonio spoke again, "Welcome to our branch of the agency, Yami."_

_Atemu smiled and bowed his head, "Thank you sir."_

"_Luckily for you one of our agents retired last week, we have an opening for you."_

"_That's wonderful. What type of person will be my partner?"_

"_A most accomplished individual. He is one of our finest agents. You ever heard of Kaiba Seto?"_

_Atemu's mouth dropped and he nearly fainted, "Yes," he paused, "I've heard of Kaiba Seto."_

"_Wonderful! We'll be seeing on Monday then?"_

"_Yes sir."_

"_In that case, you are dismissed."_

_Atemu bowed his head once more and left Antonio's office. Shock was still written all over his face, 'Kaiba! I swear, someone is laughing at me up there,' he mused._

-End Flashback-

After Atemu had finished his story, Seto examined the bill then pulled out his wallet and took out the proper amount plus a small tip. Rising to his feet, he tucked in his chair and started back to the Viper, Atemu following closely behind him.

Seto opened the car door, "Let's go get your belongings."

Atemu shook his head, "I don't have any else."

Seto blinked, "You mean to tell me that you have absolutely nothing but the clothes that you have on right now and that little denim bag in the car?"

Atemu nodded slowly, slightly ashamed of the fact, "That's all I have."

Seto grunted as he slid into the Viper; Atemu doing the same, "Hn. I suppose that I'll have to take you shopping tomorrow."

The former king blinked, "What? You don't have to do th--"

"You're not fooling anyone, Yami. I can see that you're in desperate need of new clothes, extra under-garments and some decent shoes."

"I'm not in need of anythi--"

"I insist, Yami. Besides, do you really want to spend all day tomorrow with the maids?"

"Maids? What maids? I'm afraid that I don't understand, Kaiba."

Seto inserted the key into the ignition and started up the engine, "Do I have to spell it out for you? You're my partner now. You have almost nothing to your name. I'm basically your host family, the only one in this whole city that you can turn to now, and it would displease me to know that you had to sleep on that little leather couch when you could have your own room at Kaiba Mansion."

Atemu eyes widened, "You can't be serious, Kaiba."

The CEO shook his head, "I've never been more serious."

Atemu closed the car door, "I don't know what to say."

"It's simple. Just accept my proposal and promise that you'll allow yourself to be endlessly pampered."

After realizing that Seto was absolutely correct, Atemu smiled at him for the first time in six years, "I promise." And at that moment, Atemu's confidence soared and for a split second, he swore that he heard Seth's voice at his ear, telling him that everything was going to be alright.

* * *

-To Be Continued- 

A.N: Sorry it took so long to update. I've been super busy with school and my other stories. I hope that the length of this chapter made up for the wait. Yes, I know that the opening scene did not happen, but it was needed to add drama to the story. And Asar is Osiris, Aset is Isis, Heru is Horus, Tehuti is Thoth and Heret-Het is Hathor.


	4. Settling In

I would like to formally apologize for not updating and for switching from Japanese to English in chapter 3.

Atemu used to call Seto "Kaiba-kun" because he shared a mind with Yuugi, so therefore he used Japanese honorifics because he was within Yuugi's body, although the "-kun" was dropped many, many times because Atemu and Kaiba both used the "Ore" to refer to themselves and didn't waste honorifics on anyone, especially Kaiba who probably never used honorifics at all. Anyway, now that he's (Atemu) independent he doesn't have to speak that way anymore, but the occasional "-kun" or "-sama" may come out of his mouth simply because he knows that the Japanese demand respect (and because I like honorifics XD). I know what you're thinking; there's a language barrier between Atemu and the Japanese. But that doesn't matter because Atemu shared a mind with Yuugi for so long, he was able to pick up the language as second nature, regardless if realized that he had done so. Having lost his memories, he also lost his mother language until he was able to regain the dialect in the Memory Arc. But don't worry; I shall have the other Japanese characters use Japanese phrases and honorifics in later chapters.

Anyway, I went to SacAnime this past Sunday. My friend, Hana-chan, and I cosplayed as geisha, and our other friend, Kael-chan, was a Victorian count. It was hilarious because she looked like Cain from Godchild (Count Cain), with two geisha on his arms. Those of you who have read the manga will know that Cain has a Japanese niece named Lukia who dresses in the traditional kimono. She's beautiful. Hana-chan and I looked like her, so naturally with my dirty mind I thought, 'Incest!' XD SacAnime was really fun! There were tons of very cute Asian guys there, and I found a whole table of sealed Prideshipping doujinshi. That little discovery made my day. Too bad I couldn't afford one. It was at the very cheapest $21.95 per lemon-filled book. I was bummed out but something good come out of that. I was inspired to update this fic. Yay! XD

Many thanks to the following people for reviewing last chapter or showing any interest in my little fic at all: Arashinobara Jikkankakyoku (for being my contant source of writing inspiration and giving me many things to laugh about), Kath-chan (for just being sweet and faithful XD), Yami Neferbre (for just being plain awesome and kind to me over the years), Shadow Raven (for the encouragement on the dreadful homework), (Per A'a Atemu (for believing in me always), Kume-Angel of Re (for the nice review), yvette (for the review), and last but certainly not least, sliders245 for sending that email that I needed to update this fic. Thank you everyone. I love you all. I really do.

Disclaimer: Sana owns nothing. Sad isn't it?

High Priest Seth: Not really.

Authoress: (throws her pillow at him)

King of Thieves Bakura: (steals the pillow)

High Priest Seth: o.o

* * *

Just as Seto had promised, the next day the brunette took time off from work, and they went shopping, with Atemu disguised as one of Seto bodyguards, dressed in his black slacks, feet protected by his black leather boots, hair somehow flattened under a matching hood and eyes hidden behind dark shades hidden behind the shades that the agency had given him. 

Shopping with Seto was uncomfortable to the say the least, not because the brunette was intimidating in Atemu's view or anything of that sort, but because of the fact that the eyes of curious strangers were constantly upon them. Of course Seto glared at everyone in the proximity of twenty feet, his cerulean eyes cold, dangerous, sinister and deadly. People quickly got the hint and went on their way without another look, Atemu sighing in relief when their eyes were lifted from his thin yet toned frame.

They went to the most expensive and distinguished department stores in the Domino Mall. Atemu was shocked to find that the cheapest shirt cost more than anything that the Kame Turtle Shop had ever made in a single day. Finding it overwhelming, he told Seto that he couldn't possibly find any reason to wear anything so expensive, but Seto shook his head and insisted that no guest of his was going to wear cheap clothing at anytime or anyplace while in his presence. The former pharaoh rapidly found that arguing with the brunette over anything that involved the way that he spent his money was pointless.

So after half an hour of arguing, he finally allowed Seto to buy him a dozen satin shirts, each in a different color, half a dozen new slacks in different shades of white, brown and black —leather pants were tacky according to the brunette— two pairs of blue jeans, several colors of leather boots —for durability only— a few leather belts in sterling silver, a pair of satin pajamas in different shades of red and black, a pair of red slippers, a pair of swimming-trunks, and a dozen refined cotton socks. It took Atemu a while to get over the question that Seto asked him last:

"Do you want boxers or briefs?"

"Kaiba that's a little brunt, don't you think?"

"It's not that hard, Yami. Boxers or briefs?"

Atemu turned his head away, a pink tint covering his cheeks at the inquiry, "Whatever you would you get for yourself."

Seto rolled his eyes at the reply and grunted, "Fine. Boxers it is."

In the end, Seto had the spiky-haired man pick out a dozen undergarments of his choice, turning his head away at the other man's distress over the subject.

After Atemu was done, they went over the counter to pay for the garments. Seto placed the garments on the counter, "Ring these up."

The girl at the register smiled cutely at him just as the girl at the coffee shop had, "Good morning, Kaiba-sama. Will this be all for you?"

Seto grunted, "Yes."

The girl just kept smiling at him and rung up the merchandise. When Atemu saw the total amount on the register's screen, his jaw dropped and the employees blinked at him, not understanding why he would act in such a way. Seto sent him a little glare and he quickly understood the message and composed himself once more, speaking in a soft tone, "Carry on."

Seto pulled out his credit card and handed it to the teen girl at the register, and Atemu asked curiously, "What's that?" The employees continued to stare at him and he shifted uncomfortably.

"It's called a credit card. It's used in the place of cash."

Atemu nodded, trying his best not to look at the employees, "So it's magic money."

Seto swore to himself that he probably lost a few million brain cells at that moment.

* * *

Atemu found that living at Kaiba Mansion was an adventure in itself. There were so many rooms to explore, so many things to accomplish and at every turn there seemed to be something new and exotic. Seto had allowed him to choose his room, whose closet he instantaneously unloaded his new belonging into, gave him permission to visit any room that he wished, except the brunette's master bedroom or Mokuba's room, and made him a copy of the master key, which opened almost everything in Kaiba Mansion. 

The room that Atemu was most fascinated with was the multi-story library, pun intended, with its nearly five-hundred bookshelves and several million books lined nearly without spaces between them. When asked how all those books had been acquired, the brunette merely shrugged and said that most of them had been there since before he had lived at the mansion. Most of the books, which resided on the top levels were at least twenty-years-old, hand-picked by Gozaburo and staff and never read by Seto or his younger brother. Of course Seto and Mokuba had picked many of the other books on the lower shelves, so Atemu supposed that searching through the higher shelves would be interesting and perhaps he could find out more about the history of the mansion.

Seto explained that Mokuba had left for an international university a few years back and wasn't going to be around for quite some time, so the former pharaoh wouldn't have to worry about the awkwardness of having to explain to the raven-haired young man why the reaches of space and time had been breached. Atemu had admitted that he didn't want Yuugi and the others to know that he was back either, since they had gone through so much to let him go. With a frown, he elucidated that he didn't want to be a burden on them and Seto nodded in understanding, vowing that the subject wouldn't be brought up again. At those words, the spiky-haired man was relieved and voiced his gratitude, smiling a little.

* * *

A sealed envelope arrived at the mansion a week later from the local bakery. The agency always sent its assignments from unsuspecting places so that its headquarters would never be discovered. Seto and Atemu were sitting together on the sofa in the living room reviewing the portfolio that had been sealed inside of the envelope. Atemu had grown a little more comfortable being around Seto, and by that time he knew the mansion well enough to wander around it with his eyes closed. While they were discussing the danger and importance of the assignment, the doorbell rang unexpectedly. Seto got up from the sofa and went to answer the door, already irritated with who or whom was behind it. He open the door reluctantly and instantly felt like slamming it closed again. 

"Greetings, neighbor!" chimed the knocker all too merrily for his own good, "It's a lovely day isn't it?"

The brunette narrowed his eyes at the soul who had dared to knock at his front door…well not really 'dared,' more like 'did because he pleased to,' "What the fuck do you want… again?"

"To end world hunger and bring peace to all men," the man replied curtly. He was dressed in a burgundy monk's robe, his snowy-white hair adored with similarly colored prayer beads woven onto the ends of the locks, green jade prayer beads upon his wrists and ankles, and wooden sandals upon his feet.

"Get off my property you antagonistic nun," Seto demanded, tired of having to put up with the man dropping by even-so-often.

"I think you mean 'Get off my property you pacifist nun,"' replied the man, grinning from ear to ear.

"No. I know what I meant. Antagonistic. I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to Mokuba."

"You'd be referring to my other self then, I would presume. Antagonistic describes…err…described him. He found peace, I hope, on the other side."

"I'm had just about enough of your nirvana nonsense," snapped Seto.

"Antagonistic describes you too then, brother," said the man knowingly, a smile upon his lips.

"Call me 'brother' again and I'll put a bindi on your forehead and sell your ass to a brothel in India."

"I believe you have to be married and female to wear the bindi."

"I swear I'll snap your neck right here you imbe—"

Yami got up from the sofa and rushed over to the door after Seto; his curiosity getting the best of him.

The man completely ignored Seto's threat and turned his attention to Atemu, completely cutting off him, "Yuugi! What are you going here? And with… Kaiba… of all people." The man didn't seem to notice the obvious tanned skin and crimson irises.

Atemu's reply was short and unintelligent, "Bakura."

The man nodded happily, "I thought you were studying law in America. Why are you back in Japan?"

Atemu tried to find the words, nervously fidgeting with his fingers behind his back, "Business. Don't you know… that I'm not—"

"You don't have to explain other Yuugi," Bakura grinned.

"You knew then?" replied Atemu, a little taken back.

"Of course. I just wanted to see how you would react," replied the monk, "I'm a Buddhist monk. It's my job to be all knowing."

"And to go door to door selling meditation and other ludicrous things," cut in Seto, still standing in front of the door.

"Meditation?" asked Atemu, interested.

"Meditation is good for the mind and body, other Yuugi. You seem tense. It can help you focus. For just 2500 yen, I'll give you an hour of relaxing meditation," there was an innocent smile on Bakura's face.

"What a rip off," remarked Seto, "If your lousy meditation was actually useful, you'd offer it for free. After all, isn't satisfaction and knowing that you helped someone payment enough?"

"Says the man who has everything," Bakura mumbled.

"Whatever," said Seto, as he turned around and went back to the sofa.

"I'm interested Bakura," said Atemu, completely missing the point that Seto had just tried to make with the whole 'meditation and other ludicrous things' and 'lousy meditation'. "Can I use your magic money card, Kaiba?"

* * *

AN: Bakura offers his services for 2,500 yen (JPY). This is equivalent to about 20 American dollars (USD). Seems a little pricey for a meditation session, huh? But as Bakura says, he has to make a living. XD 

And there's a box of chocolate pocky to anyone, who spotted the hidden joke about being antagonistic, besides Arashinobara Jikkankakyoku because we were talking about this the other day. Sorry Dumpling-chan. No pocky for you. XD


End file.
